a wine, food, travel, and lifestyle blog

Sommelier

February 15, 2010

I’ve had a couple of food epiphanies in my life, but none
more memorable than my first experience at Chef Mavro in Honolulu.

A few years ago while visiting the island of Oahu I quickly
grew tired of the many overpriced mediocre dining options on Waikiki
Beach where we were staying.So, desperate for a good
experience I decided to do some research to find a nearby restaurant that wouldn’t
disappoint.What I found was Chef
Mavro.The restaurant
looked very expensive, and I was nervous about splurging, but after reading
reviews I quickly grew confident and paid them a visit.

George Mavrothalassitis,
chef/proprietor of Chef Mavro, holds the prestigious James Beard Foundation
award as the Best Chef in Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest.He also holds numerous other awards and
recognition including being the only restaurant in Hawaii named in the Gayot Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. 2008-2009.

Born and raised in Marseilles, the capital of Provence in
France, Mavrothalassitis received his training in contemporary French cuisineand owned two
restaurants in Southern France, but after his first visit to Hawaii he decided
to make it his new home, eventually opening up his own restaurant in Honolulu.(France meets Hawaii, already a chef after my own heart, combining my two
favorite places in the world into a restaurant concept)

What interested me even more in wanting to go to Chef Mavro
was his concept around food and wine pairings.You will not find a wine list at this restaurant and you have four dining options to chose from (but can also mix and match). You can select from a three course, four
course, six course, or the grand degustation of all of the dishes, all paired
with specific wines. Mavrothalassitis is passionate about
his guests truly understanding how food and wine compliment each other and
enhance the dining experience, so four times a year he gathers his cooks, wait
staff, and additional wine professionals to spend the day blind tasting wines
with the recipes for the upcoming season. The winners are then selected to be
on the menu, which changes with each season.I’d die to get to be a part of that selection process
day… even if I was just a fly on the wall observing.

So on my first visit to Chef Mavro I was still in my
pseudo-vegetarian state and hadn’t had a bite of anything that came from a cow
or pig for over ten years, and was about to let my guard down for the first
time in over a decade.The
attitude I had going into the restaurant was “this chef seems to know what he’s
doing, and has been recognized by the finest critics on the world, and I trust
him.” Besides, what was I going to say “no, please hold all meat products?”I’d feel like that group in the
movie “Last Holiday” (with Queen Latifah when the chef played by Gérard
Depardieu got upset when everyone was asking for substitutions).I didn’t want to be “that” person.

My epiphany came on the third course; it was a side-by-side
tasting of Kobe Beef and Braised Beef Short Ribs.When the braised beef touched my tongue it was an experience
I had never had with food before.It melted just like butter and the flavors sang.I’m not kidding, they really did.I then, wide eyed, exclaimed to my
husband, “If meat could taste like this everyday I’d be the worlds biggest
carnivore!”

When our server came to check on us my husband decided to
share with him what I had just said.Minutes later out walked Chef Mavro himself, and he came directly to our
table, sat down beside me, put his arm around me, smiled and said (in the
cutest French accent), “So, you like my beef?”I responded, “Yes, yes I do very much, it is
delicious!”He then said “Why
thank you, I am honored.”

Honored!?Chef
Mavro, a James Beard Award Winning Chef honored because I liked his beef?It is I who should be the one honored
to get to experience this long awaited food epiphany.

I can still remember that first experience like it was
yesterday, and we’ve been going back at least once a year for the last three years
and I look forward to it like a child looks forward to going to Disneyland for
the first time.

So, a couple weeks ago my husband and I were back on Oahu
and, of course, spent an evening at my favorite restaurant in the world.This time we decided to not get the
same thing, so my hubby got the four course, and I the six, and shared so we
could experience ten of Chef’s amazing creations.Here are the highlights:

I was so full by this point I don’t know how I was able to
continue… but I did, until I finished every last bite and every last sip of this delicious tawny port.

I know these pictures don’t truly capture the essence of the
experience, considering the lighting was fairly dark and my camera is a dinky
little purse camera, but the presentation was beautiful, the service
impeccable, and the meal certainly one to remember for years to come.

If you are a sommelier or a food and wine enthusiast this is
definitely a restaurant to visit, even if just once in your life.It is indeed pricey, but so worth every
penny.This is a place that
truly understands the art of pairing food and wine in every single course and
has continued to impress me with each visit.It is an
inspiration for those (like myself) who seek to both create and experience a
perfect food and wine pairing.

And thank you to Chef Mavro for giving me my first major
food epiphany and turning me into an even bigger foodie, and yes, a carnivore!

December 17, 2009

I'm very excited to announce the beginning of a wine series that I will be teaching at a great new bistro, The Olive & The Grape in Lake Oswego. The first in the series is coming up soon. Please share this with any friends who may live in the area and are interested in learning about wine. This would also make a great Christmas gift to that someone on your list who wants to get into wine!

Present

INTRODUCTION TO WINE

START THE NEW YEAR OFF BY LEARNING ABOUT WINESUNDAY, JANUARY 17TH, 2-3:30PM$35/PERSON (includes wine and food pairings)

This class is an informal introduction to the world's wines. It will be accessible enough for beginners, yet Vindulge’s Certified Sommelier, Mary Cressler, has a level of wine knowledge that is substantial enough to handle the questions of advanced students. Students will taste six wines keyed to food pairings by French Laundry trained chef, Ellen Hatzi.

September 02, 2009

Studying for the Court of Master Sommelier Certified exams can be daunting. It takes a lot of time, patience, and focus. So much to learn and so little guidelines on what specifically to focus on. Yes, there are prep courses out there to help, but none were located near me (not to mention they are very expensive), so I opted to study independently of the prep courses. You have no idea what questions may come up on the theory portion, so in order to be successful you end up learning a lot of information from regions all over the world. It only takes a couple of wrong answers to fail the test, yet it can be a couple of those very random things you focused on that can save you. In my case I believe it was the later that helped me pass my theory exam.

During my studies I tried to have fun and try new wines as I learned about that specific region, which allowed me to try many new wines as I was learning about their qualities and history. It helped me to understand the theory portion along with training my palate. I had a fairly difficult time understanding quite a few regions of the world (Italy being one of them… which I still don’t fully “get”). Another region that both stumped me, yet fascinated me was Greece.

Greek wine regions

The phrase “it’s all Greek to me” truly applies to Greek wines. There are so many indigenous grapes to Greece that it can be very intimidating for a consumer to know what the heck is inside the bottle, yet something about that fascinated and challenged me to want to learn more. The more I studied Greek wines the more I became interested in one region in particular, Macedonia in Northern Greece.

Greece produces mostly white wines (accounting for approximately 70% of the total production), however it is in Northern Greece where much of the red wines are made. Within Macedonia is the smaller region of Naoussa producing wine primarily from Xinomavro grapes known to produce earthy, spicy and sometimes powerful red wines. Something also to note about Greek wines is that they can be labeled by appellation (like many regions throughout Europe, think a wine labeled Bordeaux), by varietal (think one labeled Cabernet Sauvignon), or by proprietary name (like Opus One). So a wine bottled with Naoussa on the label, for example, you will know it is primarily comprised of Xinomavro grapes (which I will describe shortly, bare with me).

So, months before my exam I was wondering around a local wine shop and stumbled across the 2005 Boutari Naoussa and bought it. That bottle of wine sat in my dining room everyday until my exam. For some reason I did not drink it right away, but instead just left it there waiting. It stared at me each time I walked through my dining room, begging to be consumed, until I had its label memorized. Among the many fascinating things I had learned about Greek wines, I always associated Naoussa with Xinomavro, and of course the country of Greece. How could I not, I saw the bottle every single day.

Fast forward to test time: So on my written exam, there were many difficult questions which I felt prepared for, especially one specific question regarding Naoussa. I don’t remember the exact question but I do know I had to present a short answer describing Naoussa, where in the world it is located, and what it entails. Hot dam! That wine was staring at me everyday for a reason! Nailed that question. When the test was over many students gathered anxiously in the lobby awaiting the final portion of the test (the service exam), and of course, like all nervous students we talked about the test and the questions that stumped us. One of the first outbursts from another student was “WTF was that question about Naoussa or whatever it was?” (I’m not kidding, that’s exactly what he shouted). This question apparently stumped many others, as there was a rather lengthy discussion about it. Me, I felt very safe in knowing the correct answer and smiled. Like I said, you never know what random bits of information that you learn will actually save you come test time!

And of course, what did I FINALLY drink when I returned home after passing my test… bubbles! Oh yeah, followed by the Naoussa.

So here it is:

2005 Boutari Naoussa

The Boutari’s have a long and rich history, dating back to 1879, and play an important part in the Greek wine industry. They were the first to bottle wine in Naoussa; which is still considered a benchmark for premium red wines in Greece. Boutari produces wine from all over Greece, but are best known for their wines from Naoussa.

Many describe this wine as powerful, but for me I found it silky, mild, and balanced.On the nose it was earthy, leathery, and perfumed along with notes of bright red cherry, raspberry, sweet tomatoes, and cedar. In the mouth it had more cherry, vanilla bean, and spice with medium tannins. The wine had strong acidity and tannic balance with spice that lingered on the tongue.

If I had to compare this wine to anything it would be a medium bodied Pinot Noir. The earthy, cherry, and vanilla characteristics along with its mild body was reminiscent of an everyday Burgundy for me. It didn’t blow my socks off, but it is indeed a lovely everyday red.

So if you like Pinot Noir and are looking to expand into something new, or if you just like trying new things (like me) then I would really recommend trying this wine. It is one of the more famous wines from Greece and is widely available. It's a great everyday drinking wine and, in fact, I still keep the empty bottle in my office on display (along with some of my other memorable bottles) as a reminder of my the many grueling hours I spent studying for my Sommelier exams as well as a reminder to always keep learning random bits of information because you never know when they may come in handy.

Food pairing: I drank this wine again last weekend when I made the Pizza Margherita from my previous post. It actually paired quite well with the concentrated tomato flavors of the sauce and sweet basil. I think it would be great wine for any pizza night.

May 20, 2009

So I haven’t forgotten about my blog. I was simply avoiding it these last few weeks in preparation for my upcoming Court of Master Sommeliers Certified test. I was starting to get paranoid and therefore spent all my free time studying and practicing, and felt guilty at the idea of doing stuff for fun, like blogging. But it's all done and over now and I can get back to the fun part.

I registered to take the exam earlier this year, both for educational purposes and as a challenge to myself. I’ve been studying for months now, and as a result I have hundreds of flashcards that I had been vigorously reviewing and reviewing and reviewing along with reading loads of books and magazines on wine and of course constantly tasting new wines from around the world. Nobody really tells you what to focus on or what to study more or less of, so I was pretty much on my own memorizing hundreds of regions from dozens of countries. It can get daunting. Then there’s the blind tasting component to practice for. Now I am lucky to have a husband who is crazy for wine too, so he had no problem blind tasting me on wine daily, knowing that he got to partake in the result after my answer was revealed.

The days leading up to the exam started to get stressful. Had I studied enough? Had I studying the right things? What if everything starts to get jumbled in my head? I started to doubt all that I knew and started getting down on myself.

So after lots of advice and talks from friends I decided to take it easy the 2 days before my test. At that point, there really wasn’t much more I could learn anyway. The day before my test I got up early, ran 11 miles (p.s., I am also training for a ½ marathon, so the running was good for my training and mental prep). Then spent a couple of hours just sitting in my back yard in the sun and went through a few flashcards. Then I packed up got in the car and drove to Seattle all the while listening to some of my favorite “feel good” music. Yes, I am superstitious, so I spent the day listening to good music, trying to get in a good mood, and just be in my “happy place” if you will.

Monday, May 18th Test day!So much for a good nights sleep before a big test. I couldn’t sleep AT ALL the night before my test! I was in an uncomfortable hotel bed, it was hot, the air conditioning didn’t help, and I kept thinking about wine, regions, the proctors and what they might ask. I tried to relax, count cows jumping over the moon, tried to meditate, nothing helped! I tried not to sweat it. I’d just cover up the tiredness with loads of coffee. I did manage to eat a good breakfast before the test so that was a plus.

8:00am: It’s Test Time!The blind tasting started right at 8:20am. 20 minutes for the blind tasting component. Now I am not supposed to talk about the exact wines that were poured. Shoot, I don’t even know what they were, they don’t tell you, but I did feel pretty confident in my answers and descriptions. All those tastings with the NW Palate editors certainly helped! Thanks guys!

8:40am: Written Exam WTF?! I thought I was doomed. I answered all the questions I had no doubt about first (that was about ½ the test)… then preceded to let fate take over… or rather my deduction stills. I had no idea what to expect. It could go either way. Damn Bordeaux… I guess I didn’t study my Bordeaux producers and their regions enough.

10:00am: Service Exam So much for having time to prep for the service exam in between tests. One downfall of having a last name so early in the alphabet… I knew I should have taken my husbands last name (“M”, right there in the middle)! On the flip side, I got to go first, and get it over and done with! For this portion I had to “properly” open a bottle of Champagne and pour it into 8 glasses evenly all in one single stream. Sounds easy, but it’s not as easy as it sounds! Especially when you’re nervous. Not only were my legs shaking, but so were my hands… hence spillage! Oops.Luckily the proctors were very friendly and non-intimidating, so I just kept on.Then I had to answer a series of questions about cocktails, dessert wines, and give food and wine pairing ideas. I felt fairly confident in that part.

By 11:00am I was done!And at that point I had to play the waiting game for 4 more hours. Doah!Luckily my trusty husband (who met me in Seattle) knew exactly what I would need when the test was over… BUBBLES! When I walked back to the hotel I was greeted with a glass of bubbles and some snacks. He asked how it went, and I just shouted “damn written exam”! I think at that point he looked more nervous than I did. We talked about it for awhile, and at the end of the day, I knew what I knew, and even if I had 2, 3 or even 4 more weeks to study I probably would have answered the exact same way and still not known the answers to the questions that stumped me.So now I just wait.And wait.And wait.

3:30pm: The Moment of TruthThis is it. Don’t get scared now. As I arrived they had little white envelopes ready for us all to open. As I opened mine I said to myself “either way, it’s gonna be okay… but damn I really really want to pass this!” Then I closed my eyes, opened up my little white envelope, opened my eyes and read the following word “PASS”!WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!What an incredible relief! I didn’t realize just how bad I wanted this until I saw that envelope and got my pretty purple pin and certificate! And, of course, they had a glass of Gods nectar waiting for us all to celebrate with… some yummy bubbles! Exactly what I needed after all that waiting and stress!

The end… Or rather just the beginning of a new career in the wine industry!

The intention of this blog is to share all about that which we indulge in. For me, I aspire to indulge in life itself. As I believe we all should. I believe we should all treat ourselves to something special every once in awhile... give in... indulge, whether its on a nice meal, a nice glass of wine or even a cheap glass of wine for that matter, or even a grand vacation. You deserve it!So for me, I will use this as an opportunity to share what I have "vin"dulged in lately, whether it was wine, a great meal, or a trip. And I hope you share your own stories of vindulging as well.